Five takeaways from Raiders’ 27-11 win over Jags
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Heading into Canton, eyes were on right guard Lester Cotton Sr., the expected replacement for the retired Richie Incognito, and right tackle Alex Leatherwood, the second-year Alabama product.
When recently talking about the opportunity to start with reporters, Cotton Sr. said, according to Raider Maven: « I’m willing to do anything and everything that Coach Josh (McDaniels) and Coach Carm (Carmen Bricillo) tell me to do. »
Passing the eye test, Cotton handled business in pass protection and in the run game. With a standout showing, the 335-pounder is in the driver’s seat to start Week 1.
Leatherwood, the team’s No. 1 draft pick in 2021, continues to battle Brandon Parker for the starter’s role.
The backup QB competition gets heated
Pro Bowler Derek Carr is the starter, but with his injury history, it’s crucial for the team to have a solid backup.
Fourth-year QB Jarrett Stidham, an ex-Patriot, started and is the obvious choice as backup because of his familiarity with McDaniels’ scheme. The former Auburn Tiger made his case for QB2 with a 12-yard rushing TD and by completing 8-of-16 passes for 96 yards. He lost a passing TD because of a drop by WR Tyron Johnson. Stidham played confidently, which is all you can ask from a potential backup.
Veteran QB Nick Mullens took some snaps, producing 72 yards passing and completing 72 percent of his tosses, but the former 49er doesn’t offer much.
Undrafted rookie Chase Garbers led Las Vegas to its final score. The ex-California Bear finished with 35 passing yards on 4-of-6 completions.
Expect Stidham to continue getting first-team reps in preseason games, with Garbers to follow. Mullens looks like a cut candidate.
Josh Jacobs starts at RB
Starting in the backfield, Jacobs got more reps than anyone expected. Perhaps that was because the Raiders declined to pick up his fifth-year option. The depth chart is deep at running back, giving McDaniels many options.
Adding to an already stacked offense, rookie Zamir White looked like a serious threat to crack the rotation. Out of Georgia, White posted 52 yards rushing on 11 carries. Most impressively, he showed his niftiness in space and also was a wrecking ball in traffic.
Third-year back Austin Walter rushed efficiently, picking up 49 yards on 6.1 yards per carry. Walter complements White as another hard runner, which only adds to the versatility of an already impressive offense.
Ameer Abdullah scored the lone touchdown for the backfield, sneaking in a score on one of his two rushes.
Josh McDaniels’ successful return home
McDaniels. a quarterback for Canton McKinley High School, made his Raiders coaching debut on the field he played on in high school.
« You never know if you’ll get this opportunity again, » McDaniels said postgame, according to the Raiders’ web site. « I really savored it. It was a good opportunity for all of us, and I think we all enjoyed it. »
With family and friends in attendance, he did not disappoint.
The Raiders play in their second preseason game on Sunday, Aug. 14, at home against the Vikings.
